Family Connections
by Caitriona3
Summary: Some family connections are more interesting than others.


_Author's Note – This was done for Avengersfest. Enjoy!_

 **Family Connections**

Darcy stood to one side of the elevator, swaying to her music as she waited. Physics were physics, even in Tony's tower, so it took a little time for the elevator to come all the way down from the private floors. Half the time she figured Tony invented the Iron Man armor just so he would not have to stand idle in the lobby waiting on an elevator. Her eyes drifted around the lobby, noting the people staring at her versus the people who just wanted to get to work. None of them could waited near her, of course. Only a handful of people possessed the security clearance needed for this elevator. _Thank you Jane for being so damned stubborn!_

She needed to get Jane a 'Best Fairy Godmother' t-shirt for Christmas.

One face in the crowd caught her attention and she focused on it. Then her eyes flared wide before she could control the reaction. She pulled out her phone as she did her best to push her face back into a bored patience. Her fingers flew across the screen, typing out the text.

 _*Hey, cousin mine! There a particular reason you're in the Tower?*_

Her eyes stayed on the screen. He would spot her without any other clues. Eliot Spencer might be a lot of things, but stupid he was not. No matter how much she wanted to look up to see the reaction her words prompted, she also did not want to do anything to jeopardize things for him. Not yet anyway.

 _*DJ – what the hell are you doing here?*_

One eyebrow lifted, sarcasm blossoming in her face. _*Hey, I work here. What the hell are you doing here?*_

 _*We need to talk.*_

She rolled her eyes. _*There's a café down the hall beside you.*_

Darcy led the way into the café, giving a friendly wave to the waitress. She suppressed a giggle as the woman glanced behind her and pouted in disappointment. Eliot lifted a brow as he slid into a seat across from her. "She's got a crush on Thor," Darcy replied to the unasked question. "He's usually the one here with me."

"Right." He shook his head. "Back to my original question, DJ. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Jane's here," she rolled her eyes. "I'm Jane's assistant. Ergo…I'm here."

"Thought you were just helping out the doc to get some science credits?"

"Yeah, well, that's how it started."

Eliot frowned, lounging back as the waitress delivered their orders. His eyes scanned the area for a moment after she left and then he leaned forward. "You graduated two years ago. Shouldn't you be doing your own thing?"

"I am doing 'my own thing'," she snapped. "Look – I know it wasn't what I originally planned, but plans change." Her lips curled in a quirky sort of smile. "Especially when you end up front and center of some of the most exciting stuff on the planet." He started to interrupt, but she shook her head. "I'm part of something really good here and I love doing it."

"It's dangerous."

"Yeah, because what you do is so safe?" she demanded.

A pained look crossed his face. "DJ…"

"Lady Darcy?"

Both of them looked up at the new voice. Darcy gave a bright grin. "Thor!" she chirped. "Decide to come down for some coffee?"

"We were concerned when you did not return as planned," he replied. Thor stood beside the table, arms folded over his chest. His eyes did not waver from their focus on her companion. "I came to verify your well-being."

"Oops." She chuckled and pulled out her phone, hitting the first number on her speed dial. "Thor, Eliot. Eliot, Thor." The two men sized each other up as she listened to the phone ring.

"Darcy? Are you okay? What happened?" Jane's voice spit out the questions.

"Whoa, boss lady! Calm down, Jane, I'm good." She pulled on leg up underneath her as she took a sip of her mocha. "I ran into Eliot and we got some coffee."

"Eliot?" Now the scientist sounded a bit distant and Darcy could almost see her friend's thinking face as the petite woman would be flipping through her memories to bring up a face to match the name. "Eliot?" Then all sound paused. "Are you saying you ran into Eliot Spencer in the lobby? Here?"

"Yep."

"Put him on the phone!"

"Calm down, Jane," Darcy soothed. "How about I find out why he's here before I put him on?"

Eliot's eyes widened and he sat as far back as he could, shaking his head at her. Thor's lips twitched and his shoulders relaxed. The tall blond turned and grabbed an extra chair before pulling it around so he could sit down. He waved at the waitress and then looked at Eliot. "You show wisdom," he complimented the other man. "My Lady Jane can be quite fearsome when she wishes to be."

When Eliot went to open his mouth in reply, Darcy kicked his leg. His eyes shifted to hers and she pulled the phone away from her ear. "Don't say the wrong thing," she whispered, mischief twinkling in her own gaze. "Thor's super overprotective of Jane. They're a thing."

"Oh, yeah?" Now the specialist's gaze narrowed on Thor. "Somebody warn you about what'll happen if you hurt her?"

Thor drew himself up. "I would never bring harm to her," he bit out.

"Not what I asked."

"Would you two stop?" Darcy huffed. "I'm trying to calm Jane down, not get her riled up."

"Somebody's got to take her part," Eliot argued. "Selvig's not the type and it's not like she's got anybody else but you." He held up a hand as her eyes flashed. "Yeah, yeah, you can handle it. Doesn't hurt for the doc lady to have more than one person giving the guy a warning."

"Ah, I see," Thor nodded as he relaxed back. "You seek to stand in the place of a guardian for my Lady." He inclined his head. "A noble offer."

Darcy kept an eye on them as she worked on pacifying the muttering scientist.

"Doc lady doesn't always pay attention to what's going on around her," Eliot replied. "Darcy's good at watching out for her, but sometimes the situation calls for somebody less…civil to deal with it." His lips curved into a predatory smile.

"My training in the arts of war has been extensive," Thor warned. "And I have a great deal of experience."

"Yeah, well…I cheat."

A frown flickered over the Avenger's face. "You would cheat on the field of battle?"

"If it keeps the girls safe?" Eliot tilted his chin down to pin a look on the blond warrior. "Hell, yes, I'd cheat. Whatever it takes."

Now Thor's broad, cheerful grin broke over his face like a sunrise. "Well said!" he nodded. "Well said. If Lady Darcy will vouch for you then I shall accept you as a fellow warrior gladly. Any friend of Lady Darcy is a friend of mine."

"Guess what, Jane?" Darcy laughed. "Thor and Eliot are friends!"

"Oh, my God," Jane groaned. "I'm coming down there right now."

"Yeah, sure, you betcha," Darcy replied, chuckling yet again as her friend sighed. She put her phone away. "Jane's on her way."

Eliot glared at her. "I hate you."

"You love me," she riposted, blowing him a kiss. Her eyes turned to Thor. "Eliot's a cousin, but he usually plays the big brother more than anything else."

"Cousin?" Thor's eyes widened. "Why have you not brought him to meet us before?"

She winced at the light hurt in her friend's tone. "It's not like that, Big Guy," she promised, reaching out to squeeze his arm. "Eliot's…he moves around a lot and spends more time in trouble than not." Thor frowned at her and she chuckled. "Remember that movie we watched a couple of weeks ago? Robin Hood?" she prompted.

"You are one who helps those the law cannot?" Thor looked at Eliot, his voice warm with approval.

"I do what I do," Eliot shrugged, shifting a little under the scrutiny. "I'm not hero…and don't let DJ tell you differently."

"DJ?"

"No, no, no," Darcy shook her head.

"Come, Lady Darcy," Thor laughed. "It cannot be that bad!"

"Depends on your point of view," she grumbled, slouching back in her seat. She waved at Eliot. "Oh, go ahead," she sighed. "If you don't, he'll just pull out the puppy dog eyes and no grown man should be able to make his face that adorable."

"DJ is my nickname for her," Eliot smirked. "Stands for Darcy Jean."

"Could you get any more country?" she huffed.

"Nothing wrong with that," he countered.

She glared at him. "Unless you're trying to make it in a place like New York." Then a wicked smile changed her countenance. "Look out," she warned in a singsong voice. "Here come's Jane."

"Eliot Spencer!" Jane smacked his shoulder as she joined them at the table.

"Whatever it is, I didn't do it," he protested, leaning away from her.

"Where have you been?"

He shrugged. "Here and there? You know how my work goes."

"Yes, I know," she grumped before sliding into the seat beside Darcy. "A postcard every six to nine months is not staying in touch."

"Come on, Doc, at least I'm trying!"

"Maybe," she allowed. Then she gave him an arch smile. "You happen to know anything about the hacker trying to break into the building security?" He winced and her smile morphed into a grin. "Stark's having a field day playing hide and seek with him."

"Damn it, Hardison," Eliot muttered.

"Oh, and there's a brunette cooling her heels in one of the elevators." The petite scientist's grin grew yet more mischievous somehow as he grimaced. "Her intriguing little communication device drew some attention."

"Is your entire team here?" Darcy asked, shoulders beginning to shake as she tried to suppress her giggles. "This is great! I've been dying to meet Parker. She sounds like someone I could get along with." He gave her a horrified look and she shrugged. "What? I've never heard of anyone other than Jane and I getting under your skin so fast…and you treat us like sisters." She exchanged nods with Jane. "We should meet the new one."

"No," Eliot told her, pointing his finger at her. The finger moved between her and Jane as he continued with his verbal denials. "No, no, no, and no. The three of you are not allowed to form some kind of connection." He shook his head. "Absolutely not. No."

A moment of silence passed before someone clambered over the back of the booth to drop into the seat next to Eliot. The slim blonde looked around the group before focusing on the now groaning specialist. "Hey, Eliot, did you know Nate is muttering and pacing right now? He's saying your name a lot, so I think you might be in trouble."

"Trouble?" Eliot choked out. "Nate doesn't have the slightest clue." He planted his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. "Why me?"

Darcy gave a delighted laugh and Jane's grin grew wider. Thor's booming laugh filled the room as he clasped Eliot's shoulder. "Be of good cheer, warrior," he advised. "At least we may rest assured of their affections as they plot their mastery over this world."


End file.
